


Deliver Us From Evil

by franticatlantic



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Priest!Tyler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 23:04:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8509000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franticatlantic/pseuds/franticatlantic
Summary: Once upon a time, Josh tried to seduce the cute new pastor of his family's church.
Now he goes to him for advice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> for an [anon](http://vintagetyler.tumblr.com/post/152798354258/hi-if-youre-still-open-for-requests-i-would) who wanted something with priest!tyler.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was…” He thinks. “…two days ago.”

“So long?” Father Joseph’s voice is light, teasing.

Josh laughs without much humor. “Well, you know how it is.”

“I do.” And Josh truly believes he does. “What is it this time?” The words are not harsh, the way someone else - maybe even some other priest - might say them, like Josh is wasting his time. They’re patient, almost cloying. Easing Josh into it.

“My parents. Again. They-“ His breath hitches and he has to take a moment to collect himself.

He hears Father Joseph shift. “Take your time.”

Father Joseph knows Josh’s parents, long-time attendees of the parish. Good people, Josh supposes. On the outside.

“I’m still with Michael. I don’t love him, or anything like that, but he’s nice to be around. And maybe I could, eventually. But it doesn’t matter.” Josh balls his hands into tremulous fists. “Because they told me I can’t see him.”

“Joshua-“

“And that it’s a sin. That-“

“We’ve been over this.” Father Joseph’s voice is stern, but not cruel. “Being gay is not a sin.”

In the dark of the confessional, he can almost convince himself that’s true.

“So, what?” Tears are welling and Josh barely keeps them from spilling. “You think I should disobey my parents? Isn’t _that_ a sin?”

“I think…” The priest pauses, and in the silence that follows someone up on the balcony plays a few sad, slow notes on the organ. “I think, Joshua, that you should listen to God. He speaks through - and to - all of us. If you listen to him, you’ll start down the right path.”

“That’s bullshit.” The word sounds out of place here, in a church, but Father Joseph doesn’t chide him. Indeed, he doesn’t say anything, waiting for Josh to finish. “With all due respect, _Tyler_ , you’re a priest, right? You’re supposed to be the word of God so tell me what to do. Please.”

Because even if Josh weren’t with Michael, even if he were single and not interested, eventually he would be. With someone else. And that someone would always be another male. Because Josh isn’t straight. No matter how much he tries to convince himself, he can’t. He’s just not.

“What you have with Michael,” Tyler eventually says, “is special. The same way a heterosexual couples’ relationship is special.”

“Why don’t you ever say this in your sermons? Maybe if you did, it wouldn’t be so hard. Maybe my parents would listen to you.”

“You know I can’t do that, Josh.”

“But _why?_ ”

Through the slats of the confessional wall, Josh can just barely see Tyler tug at the collar of his shirt. “Because despite the papacy’s great efforts to rewind on the matter of homosexuality, there’s no possible way to repeal hundreds of years’ worth of hate and bigotry, not that quickly. It’s quite possible your parents would stop coming here if I even broached the subject.”

“Like I wanted to after I tried to sleep with you?”

Tyler laughs and Josh grins. “Yes, like that.”

Months ago, when Tyler Joseph was the new, young pastor at St. Timothy’s, Josh had embarked on a rather long endeavor to seduce him. He had failed, which he’d found unfortunate then, but which he’d found rather helpful in the months that followed, especially after he met Michael.

Josh sniffs, presses a hand against the slatted wall. “My penance?”

“No penance. Join me.” There’s a shaft of light as Tyler opens his door. Josh does as he’s told, slinking out as well into the golden light of the church, the stained glass windows playing cool blues and purples over the pews.

Tyler - now Father Joseph again - lays a friendly hand on Josh’s shoulder. “My advice - not as your priest, but as a friend - is to follow your heart. Simple as that.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have parents who’ll hate you if you _follow your heart._ ”

Father Joseph gives Josh a wry smile. So maybe he does. Josh wouldn’t know - all those months ago, he didn’t spend much time getting to know the new priest of his church so much as he did trying to suck his dick.

“Okay,” is all Josh can say. “Thank you, Father.”

Tugging at his collar again, Father Joseph smirks. “I better see you here on Sunday. Or you really will be getting some penance.”

“Is that a threat, Father?” Josh bats his eyes for one last chance.

“No,” Father Joseph shuts him down, taking him by the shoulders and steering him toward the door. “Now go. I’m sure you have better things to do than stand around with a priest all day.”

Josh takes the stone steps down to the front street two at a time. He doesn’t look back as he starts to walk home, but he knows Tyler’s watching.

**Author's Note:**

> always taking requests at my [tumblr](http://vintagetyler.tumblr.com/).


End file.
